College basketball predictions: 2023-24 Final Four and National Champion picks

National Champion: Duke Blue Devils

The Blue Devils didn't do well by their own standards in Jon Scheyer's first year, advancing to the second round before getting knocked out of March Madness. That disappointing result led to a huge benefit for Duke in the form of continuity, something they haven't really had since Mike Krzyzewski embraced the one-and-done model in the mid-2010s.

Guard Jeremy Roach is back for his senior year while sophomores Kyle Filipowski, Tyrese Proctor and Mark Mitchell are back to give Duke four returning players in their starting lineup. The decision from Filipowski, the ACC's Rookie of the Year, to forego the NBA Draft to return to Durham was massive since it gave the Blue Devils an established big man to help run their offense.

Scheyer has also done well to supplement his roster with a star-studded recruiting class that has the potential to add four impact players to the rotation. Five-star guard Jared McCain has elite potential as a shooter and the fact he can be one of the guys as opposed to a leading man will be a massive aid to both his development and the Blue Devils' rotation as a whole.

The modern age of college basketball has rewarded teams that can blend both talent and experience as Duke has done now. The Blue Devils will reap the benefits of Scheyer's excellent team building and extend their legacy to a new head coach with the program's sixth national title and their first in the post-Krzyzewski era.